Chapter 11
June
M ission completed.
Kai wanted me to pick up Ting Ting, or Lucy, with him and now that it’s done, I should leave them alone.
It would spare me feeling like a third wheel at least. Or fourth wheel with Jenny there.
I stood by the entrance of the tower to Kai’s apartment, staring into the passing traffic looking for an available taxi. Perhaps I should just order an Uber. It would have been easier on a Sunday morning.
“Hey,” Kai said as he came out of the building, “what are you doing out here?”
I shrugged. Talking felt like hard work.
“You’re just going to leave me like that?” His voice sounded a little bitter. I couldn’t tell where he was going with this.
“You wanted my company to pick up Ting Ting. We’ve picked her up and she’s here now. What more can I do for you?” Now I sounded bitter.
“Oh–,” He blinked a few times, then as if he had a light bulb moment, “were we rude? I mean when we were talking to each other in Mandarin. I’m sorry, it was just so much easier talking to her in the way we speak in Shanghai.”
Yes and no.
Yes, that was a little rude, but I had gotten used to it as many of my patients were not from the United States. They would often discuss things with each other in other languages before telling me what they wanted in English.
No, that wasn’t really the reason I was feeling a little down. My head started to hurt.
“Please. I need you.” Kai gave me puppy dog eyes and I turned my face away from him. “I wouldn’t know what to do, you know, what if Lucy and Jenny don’t see eye to eye. You know, there’s no way I can predict how Jenny is going to react.”
His hand cupped my face softly. The warmth that radiated from him made my soul melt – I could never say no to him. And he knew that.
“Fine. You know that I’m a very busy person, right?”
My fake stern voice didn’t seem to have any effect on him as he grinned foolishly at me.
“Of course, my princess.” I hated him for saying that word, but it worked, as it melted my emotional armor. “I will make it up to you, I promise.”
Gosh. I don’t know what happened to me then. My mind suddenly had the dirtiest thoughts flying around at the speed of light in all directions.
I clenched my misbehaving thighs that wanted to creep up around his waist. I cleared my voice before I spoke. “Let’s go.”
Lucy and Jenny’s reunion had no drama. Which was good.
But a very small part of me hoped that Jenny might throw a tantrum.
That was very evil of me for thinking that.
Jenny was kind of my patient. Even though she hadn’t officially registered under my service, she had verbally given me consent to look after her throughout her pregnancy – regardless of how short it was if she decided not to keep the baby.
The two women would talk to each other in Mandarin, with some Shanghai dialect here and there.
Then they would switch back to English sometimes – for my benefit if I had to guess.
Perhaps they wanted me to know that they weren’t gossiping about me.
Or they were just kind enough to include me in their conversation.
They mostly talked about their university life, then caught up on news about themselves.
If I understood correctly, Lucy and Jenny went to the same university.
And Lucy was some kind of artist, or photographer because they were talking about some exhibitions.
It was all very lovely and happy, and it didn’t seem to me that Jenny disclosed much about her current situation in their catch-up chat.
In the beginning, Kai was pacing around them like a headless chicken.
Fussing over their comfort. One minute, he would offer to adjust the air conditioning for Jenny and Lucy, then the next he would offer them some blankets.
Then he would bark at his phone to have people prepare them lunch, then some snacks, then beverages.
It felt never ending. It was adorable though.
He settled down soon enough as the house filled with all kinds of food and finally sat down on a chair that almost looked like a throne in the living room. Like he was the king of the place. I guess he was.
“I didn’t know you knew Kai.” Jenny's eyes alternated between Lucy and Kai.
Lucy whispered something into her ear, and they giggled like teenage mean girls.
“I didn’t know she was your friend.” Kai interrupted. “My mother introduced us.”
“Match making you mean.” Jenny corrected him.
Jenny made match making sound so old fashioned.
Matchmaking was back in fashion. That was why dating apps were so popular right now. And I personally had accounts across different apps, for when I had time to chill.
But it surprised me a little that Kai would let his mother organize dates for him. It just didn’t seem like Kai at all. The Kai I knew didn’t have a problem attracting women himself.
“Oh, you are very much Auntie's kind of girl.” Jenny’s words made me uncomfortable. I could just imagine Kai’s formidable mother – played by Michelle Yeoh – screening through the list of girls for her perfect son to date.
“She was a hard one to please.” That’s what the movie poster would say. I wouldn’t expect less from Michelle . Or Kai’s mother.
“Please. Auntie is lovely. What are you talking about?” Now, either Lucy really was a people person, or she was just faking it. Wealthy and nice are two descriptions that don’t go together for older Asian women – those that I know of anyway.
Kai chuckled. “You’re right. She’s actually very nice to you. A bit unusual for her.”
I felt a bit uncomfortable. What would Kai’s mother think of me? Shit . Why would I care what Kai’s mother might think of me?
“Wow.” Jenny went on and sang the wedding march, “dang, dang, dang, dang…”
“Oh stop.” Lucy’s face flushed the color of dragon fruit. It kind of made her even prettier, actually. Damn.
I got up and went to the bathroom.
My instinct was right.
I shouldn’t have stayed.
Now I was an even bigger third wheel. The third wheel of their happy family.
I stared at the mirror and realized that even my appearance was out of place here.
Sure, I had some similar features to those Asian women out there, but in some ways, we weren’t the same.
I felt racist for thinking that all Asian moms might have prejudices against American girls.
But that was what the recent Hollywood movie, Crazy Rich Asians led me to believe.
When I was dating Dannie back then… I pushed down the memory of my ex and focused on thinking about an escape plan. Maybe I could make up something about work. That would work.
I opened the bathroom door only to be greeted by Kai’s chest. Technically, it was one of those awful cheesy slogan T-Shirts that said “kick ass or die” which I ran straight and buried my face into.
He smelled really nice. His expensive woody cologne transformed into a scent of unique sweetness on him. “Are you okay there?”
Yes and no.
“I – um – have a work thing to sort out. I have to go.”
“No, you don’t.” Oops. “Whatever it is, get someone else to sort it out.”
He pulled my face up towards his and I could feel my feet pointing up on my tiptoes as my lips opened for his.
“You’re doing fine.” I whispered.
“I need you.” His hand went up to push a strand of hair away from my face. I closed my eyes trying not to squirm. He reached down and our lips met.
I’m in so much trouble .
* * *
For the first time in my life, I realized that I was a poor sucker for hypnotism .
True Blood has been one of my favorite shows of all time.
In fact, I binged it all over again when it became available on my streaming service not too long ago.
And I told myself that only people with weak mind control would be glamoured by those gorgeous blood suckers.
I knew I would be like Sookie Stackhouse, completely immune to them.
Perhaps I don’t know myself as well as I used to.
I wasn’t implying that Kai knew about hypnotism and that he was using that on me. But if he did, then I probably would hand over my bank account details along with the jewelry my granny passed down to me. However, Kai wouldn’t care much about my little treasure chest.
The kiss confused me. I wanted to clarify our relationship , if there even is one.
I had been on plenty of quick dates through swiping apps and had a few dates with men who all but had giant red flags waving behind them.
None of the dates were anything I would be too proud of.
But we were talking about my brother’s best friend here.
Clearly, there were rules about humans that were close to your life? Like, some kind of code about that.
A drunken night with a stranger is one thing. Your brother’s best friend is a whole other matter.
I’d known Kai ever since I was a kid. We weren’t best friends or anything.
But he had been in my life more than some of my high school friends – during important events of my life anyway.
He also kind of saved my life on many occasions.
My crush and lust for him had always been there since day one.
Unfortunately, he only ever saw me as the little sister that he never had.
Thanks to Lucy, our intimate session was cut short. It was Jenny who had interrupted us, however. She was simply too excited about the shopping event that Lucy had arranged for us.
In about thirty minutes, a crew of staff in tailor-made suits from Gucci arrived.
Lucy’s family had an account with Gucci, among other fancy luxury brands – mostly French and Italian.
I figured when she meant accounts – or memberships, her words, not mine – she didn’t mean the same lame kind that I get when I signed up to Costco, or Target.
None of my memberships would have their staff bring the latest seasons of clothing and accessories for our choosing.
They even brought their own sparkling wine.